306. You Drive Me Crazy! 미치겠다, 너땜에! (2018) Korean

Lee Yoo Young, Kim Sun Ho, Sung Joo, Kwon Doh Woon, Ryoo Hye Rin, Park Hyo Joo

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A+

I never know where to put these drama specials.  Are they mini dramas? Or are they TV movies? Oh well, I'll just make it number 304 and have done with it. I had been looking forward to watching this since it got announced because I love Maknae (Kim Sun Ho) and I love Lee Yoo Young. Although I have to admit that I didn't recognize her because her character was so polar opposite from her character in Tunnel. She was the impulsive, outspoken, feisty, and cheerful one. It was also interesting to see Maknae being more of the straight man to her craziness, which he also did superbly. He just has a way of making his characters so real and relatable. His expressions! Ack!

So it's about some best friends who "accidentally" slept together two months ago, and are still avoiding it and pretending it never happened. Basically it is the most angsty, chemistry filled show I've seen in a while. The tension between them was wow. Needing to talk about what happened, not wanting to. How do you cross that line from friend to lover without ruining the relationship? Now that they already have, how do the save their relationship and in what way should it be saved?

228. I Need Romance 3 로맨스가 필요해 3 (2014) Korean

Kim So Yeon, Sung Joon, Namgoong Min, Wang Ji Won, Park Hyo Joo, Yoon Seung Ah, Park Yu Hwan

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A

This was by far the best of the I Need Romance franchise.  The characters were better developed, they were well acted, and the plot didn't suck.  It also had somewhat natural character arches.  The most far-fetched thing in the show was how perfect Derp Face's character was.  Sweet Potato Derp Face was so perfect and good that he basically couldn't exist.  Plus cute derp faces.  A man so patient and loving isn't realistic at all, but makes for good watching.  So many cuddles and warmness.  My favorite character was Se Ryung, the bitca.  Wang Ji Won did an amazing job with her.  I like how much depth her character had, she was a bitca, but she had her reasons too, and they weren't just because she was a bitca.  She had been hurt, she had her dreams and ambitions, and she was only interested in one man the entire time.  Even when she could have conceivably switched to another dude when the lead was interested in him, she stuck to the one man she wanted to get back.  I like how the plot was about Joo Yeon learning how to feel again.  She had become a robot and she had to be sweet potatoed into getting back in touch with herself.  The side couples were a bit annoying.  I liked the fling turned into pregnancy one ok, that couple was ok cute, but the young office romance was a little peachy.  The girl's voice just always sounded a bit whiny.  They also pulled every stereotype in the end, hitting all the issues, the modern woman stereotypes: take a year to travel to find myself (wait for me!), you don't have to make her quit because she's a pregnant single mom, we can be neighbor parents and raise the babies, etc.  It was a bit cheesy but you still got to appreciate and support it.  Also, it was remarkably (comparatively) low on the sexy time scenes the whole time, because the dynamic was different and the main couple didn't get together until the end, but that meant that the last couple of episodes were like constant bedroom scenes, to make up for the rest of the show.  I think everyone but the lead peeps had bedroom scenes until the last few episodes.  But it was a cute and satisfying show.